Apparatus for the operation of grabs, buckets, and the like



March 8, 193%, P. J. M. 'r. ALLARD APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF GRABS, BUCKETS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 16, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l erre jean Harm Maud re AL \NVENTQR AMJK k A Y.

March 8, 1938. P. J. M. T. ALLARD- APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF GRABS, BUCKETS AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1936 mviuroQ March 1938. P. .1. M. T. ALLARD 2,110,556

APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF GRABS, BUCKETS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 16, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvamfoz 65 evil; ATTRI March 1938. P. J. M. T. ALLARD 2,110,566

APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION 0 F GRABS, BUCKETS, AND THE LIKE I Filed April 16, 1936 4 Sheets-Shqet 4 fig. /7

P evr re Tenn Marie nodore A LAK N v E N-ro a Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orris.

APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF GEARS, BUCKETS, AND THE LIKE Pierre Jean Marie Theodore Allard, Sainte Application April 16, 1936, Serial No. 74,685 In France May 6, 1935 Claims.

The present invention has for its object a new apparatus adapted to actuate single-rope grabs of the automatic type, the emptying of which is effected by means of a crown or like element.

This apparatus is chiefly characterized in that it comprises movable and controlled members providing for the movement of the grab in the principal vertical plane of the derrick or similar operating device, (1. e., in the plane which is perpendicular to the parallel axes of the pulleys and of the lifting drum, and which contains the two sides of the operating chain or cable of the grab) in such a manner as to permit of emptying the grab at a sufilcient distance from the spot where it is loaded.

The apparatus is moreover arranged to permit the movement of the grab in the aforesaid principal plane to be assured automatically by the weight of this grab.

This movement of the grab is possible due to the fact that the opening of a single-rope grab can be efiected by suspending it from a suitable.

device (opening crown, ring, headed piece, forked member, hook, pawl, etc.) during all the time it is being held open, whereas during the lifting of the closed grab and the lowering of the open grab it remains suspended from the operating cable of the lifting apparatus. This permits of placing the grab according to a determined vertical line in order to assure its filling and of emptying it on another vertical line situated at a certain distance from the first one, this movement being automatic and affording no other operations of the driver as the usual ones required by the lifting and lowering of the grab.

This apparatus may be employed each time where the rotary movement of the controlling apparatus bringing the grab into a determined direction may be omitted. The new lifting method simplifies the work, accelerates the operations, and simplifies and reduces the weight of the controlling apparatus itself. This happens for instance in the case when boring or sinking wells, trenches etc.

The invention also contemplates the derricks and other engines for any kind of use and especially for the boring or cleaning of wells or trenches, as well as in general all apparatus for the cleaning, dredging, filling of cups, lifting operations etc., comprising a grab provided with such an apparatus.

The principal advantages of the apparatus according to the invention are as follows:

The movement of the load in the principal plane of theapparatus permits of emptying the grab-content at a sufiicient distance from the spot where it is filled, for example from the well orifice in order to afford a rapid evacuation of the disaggregated materials without interfering with the operation, the displacement of the load being effected automatically as soon as the grab is hooked to the opening crown and the operating cable is slackened.

The construction of apparatus in current use' is simplified due to the elimination of the directing device, permitting thus of realizing a light but stable apparatus and which in the mean time may be readily transported.

The operation is simplified afiording rapid work.

In the annexed drawings, given solely as examples:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical elevational view of a device with a grab combined according to the invention with an apparatus adapted to ensure the movement of the load in the principal plane of the device;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan View at a somewhat reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is an end view at a somewhat reduce-d scale;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary side and plan views;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a modification of this apparatus;

Fig. 7 is a corresponding fragmentary plan view;

Figs. 8 and 9 are similar views of another modification;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are respectively elevational, side and plan views of a device according to the invention for the digging of trenches;

According to the embodiment represented in Figs. 1 to 6, the device is for instance adapted for the sinking of a well I. The grab is carried by a vehicle 3 which carries a lifting winch 4 (Figs. 1 and 3) of any suitable type and a. derrick with four legs or uprights: two legs 5 of the derrick rest upon the frame 6 of the Winch, the two other legs i are disposed at the exterior and carry a transmission pulley 8 for the lifting chain or cable 9. This pulley 8 is situated plumb with axis XX.' (Fig. 1) of the well which is to be bored.

The legs 1 of the derrick carry, moreover, through the medium of bars It or any other means a shaft II. On this shaft H is pivoted a balancing member or swinger 52. This swinger I2 is provided at one of its ends with a pulley I3 loosely mounted on shaft I 4 and Carrying rope 9, and two lateral sectors l5 (Figs. 4-5) to which are secured at 16 the chain or chains I! carrying the opening crown N3 of the grab. The other end of the swinger I2 is provided with a counterweight l9 (Fig. 4) which urges pulley l3 back towards a position plumb with the well to be bored, i. e., according to axis XX.

Pulleys 8 and I3, and the swinger [2 are disposed in the principal plane Y-Y (Figs. 2, 3, 6) of the grab, i. e., in the plane which contains the two sides of the cable or of the chain 9 and which is perpendicular to the axis of the winch 4.

The grab is of the usual single-rope type.

The shells 20 are pivoted at 2| upon the bars 22, which are in turn pivotally mounted on the head 23 of the grab comprising, as known per se, members 24 serving for the securing to crown l8. Shells 20 are moreover pivoted to the usual central beam 25 of the grab.

The lifting chain or cable 9 which for the sake of clearness has been supposed to stop at the head 23, ensures a connection between this head 23 and the central beam 25 by known means. This connection is of such a kind that any tension exercised upon this lifting cable or chain first approach together the two shells 29, thus closing the grab, and thereafter lifts this latter as shown in full lines on Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: at the end of the lifting motion of the grab, its head 23 engages the opening crown l8 and due to the usual mechanism of single-rope, grabs is hooked to this crown. At this moment the whole load rests upon the lifting chain or cable 9. If this chain or cable is slackened the load which is thus partially abandoned, bears in part upon crown I8.

[is this crown is secured to swinger l2 by means of chains l1, this swinger begins rotating in the direction of arrow 1'' (Figs. 1, 4) about shaft ll under the action of the weight of the grab resting upon the crown l8.

Due to the fact that a small effort suffices to rotate swinger 12, the grab arrives still closed into position 29a, represented in dot and dash lines on Fig. 1, the swinger occupying then the position l2a and the crown 18 the position l8a.-

During the movement, cable or chain 9' is progressively slackened in order to compensate the difference between the lengths ab and ab (Fig. 4), but however the grab rests substantially and in its major part upon chain or cable 9 and cannot be opened during the oscillation of swinger 12.

When the grab has been displaced in plane Y-Y, it is no more plumb with the line of boring XX. If in this moment the slackening of cable 9 is continued, the grab entirely rests upon crown [8, opens in the known manner at 202) (Fig. l) and is emptied at 26 away from the well I (Fig. 1). 7

When the grab is opened, a device currently used in grabs provided with emptying crowns, permits of lifting the grab in the opened position.

As soon as lifting cable or chain 9 is being pulled, the grab becomes partially carried by this cable and in part carried by the crown l8 until the grab is arrived above well I. At this time, swinger i2 has been brought back into its initial position under the action of counterweight I9, the grab is released from crown I9 in the known manner, may be lowered in the opened position as shown at 200 (Fig. 1) into the well, may be again closed inside the well, and the cycle continues.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification in which the crown I8 is connected with a swinger l2 the shaft of which II is carried by two rollers 21 movable upon two stationary rails 28, which are horizontal and parallel with plane Y-Y. Swinger l2 carries a sector 29 which occupies a concentric position with respect to axis El and to which is secured at 32 a cable 3!. This latter is on the other hand attached to a stationary point 32. To this sector is also attached at 33 a second cable 34, secured at its other end to a stationary point 35.

The operation is as follows: when the grab is hooked to the crown l8, swinger l2 pivots about its shaft II in the direction of arrow f drives sector 29 and produces the winding of cable 34 upon this latter, whereas cable 3i unwinds; swinger l2 and sector 29 are displaced, rollers 27 move upon the two rails 23 and drive the crown, bringing it from 18 into 18a and displacing also the grab which is suspended from this crown.

Another modification is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. According to this embodiment, the device employed consists of a carriage 36 to which is hooked the crown 58', this carriage being movable upon two inclined rails 23. It is evident that when the grab is suspended from the crown l8 and thus from carriage 33, this latter moves by gravity in the direction of arrow )3 and the grab is emptied when the carriage arrives at 36a against abutments 3'1 disposed at the end of rails 28. The carriage is automatically brought back to the starting point i. e., to the upper part of rails 28, after the grab has been emptied, when lifting cable or chain 9 is pulled upon; the disengagement of the grab and the crown being possible only after the pulley carried by the carriage has come back above the well.

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show diagrammatically the use of the invention when boring a trench 38. An emptying chute 39 having the form of a bihedron is disposed over this trench and permits of discharging the materials either on both sides with respect to the trench or on one of the two sides, the chute itself being pivotally mounted, deformable and permitting of obtaining at will different angles on the two inclined planes. Naturally, this chute maybe mounted on a carriage and may be displaced according to needs.

Obviously, the invention is by no means limited to the embodiments which are represented and described, and which are to be regarded as examples.

As it has been indicated, the invention is quite particularly interesting each time when a grab provided with a single cable and adapted to be opened and emptied by means of a crown may be operated without it being necessary to cause it to move according to an arc between the filling and emptying points.

It is also evident, that the filling and emptying points of the grab may be, at will, reversed with respect to the derrick. This has been for instance shown in the example of Fig. 14, but this principle may be used, without departing from the scope of the invention, in all kinds of apparatus according to the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is:

1. Anapparatus for the operation of automatic ing the usual lifting and operating flexible means of the grab, a member secured to said arm and adapted to receive and to carry the grab at the end of the upward motion thereof and a counterweight at the other end of said arm adapted to bring the arm into a determined position after the grab has' been emptied.

2. An apparatus for the operating of an automatic single rope grab wherein the emptying is effected by suspending the grab from a particular opening element, comprising a main frame, a derrick with pulleys and winch for the usual single lifting and operating flexible means for the grab, disposed on said frame, a movable member on this frame adapted to oscillate in the main vertical plane of said derrick, a guiding member for said single flexible means located on one end of said oscillating member, a counterweight on the other end of said oscillating member adapted to bring it into a determined position of rest and a ring-shaped opening element carried by said oscillating member, and from which the grab is suspended at the end of its lifting movement,

said oscillating member carrying thus the grab and its contents at the end of its lifting motion and being caused to move under the action of gravity while bringing the grab into its emptying position.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a stationary pivot about which said oscillating member is adapted to swing.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, comprising rollers carrying said movable member, guiding means for said rollers, a sector shaped member on said movable member and two flexible members secured at one of their ends to stationary points and at their other ends to said sector, any swinging of said movable element producing the winding of one of these flexible members upon the sector and thereby the displacement of said rollers.

5. An apparatus for the operating of automatic grabs having a single flexible operating means such as a rope, wherein the emptying is effected by suspending the grab from a particular opening element, comprising a main frame, a movable member on this frame, adapted to reciprocate in a single vertical, plane, guiding means on said movable element for the usual single flexible means for the lifting and operating of the grab,

an opening element for the grab suspended from said movable member, and a winch on said frame upon which said flexible means is wound, said opening element being adapted to carry the grab at the end of its lifting motion, and upon slackening of said flexible means to cause the movable member together with the grab and its contents to be automatically displaced in said vertical plane towards its emptying position under the sole action of the weight of this grab and. its contents.

6. An apparatus adapted to operate a single rope-grab, wherein the emptying is effected by suspending the grab from an opening element, comprising a main frame, a winch on said frame, single flexible means serving to operate the grab and wound on said winch, a guiding means for said flexible means at the upper part of said frame, an oscillating arm adapted to swing about a horizontal pivot on said frame and always in a single vertical plane, a counterweight on one end of said arm, adapted to bring it in a determined position, a guiding means for said flexible means on the other end of this arm, and a ring-shaped opening member for the grab suspended from said second guiding means, said latter member being adapted tocarry the grab and its contents at the end of the lifting motion thereof and to transmit their weight to the arm so as to cause it to move automatically about its pivot and bring the grab into the emptying position upon slackening of said flexible means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said opening element is suspended from said movable member through the intermediary of said guiding means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, comprising flexible means by which said opening element is secured to said guiding means and thereby to the movable element.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said movable member consists of a sliding carriage.

10. An apparatus according to claim 5-, wherein said movable member consists of a sliding carriage and further comprising inclined guiding means for said carriage, which carries said guiding means and is provided with suitable rollers cooperating with said inclined guiding means.

PIERRE JEAN MARIE THEODORE ALLARD. 

